Jewish Defense Organizations:
The Haganah

The underground military
organization of the yishuv in Eretz Yisrael
from 1920 to 1948. The Arab riots in 1920
and 1921 (q.v., see also Tel Hai) strengthened
the view that it was impossible to depend
upon the British authorities and that the
yishuv needed to create an independent defense
force completely free of foreign authority.
In June 1920, the Haganah was founded.

During the first nine years
of its existence, the Haganah was a loose
organization of local defense groups in the
large towns and in several of the settlements.
The Arab riots in 1929 (q.v.) brought about
a complete change in the Haganah's status.

It became a large organization
encompassing nearly all the youth and
adults in the settlements, as well as
several thousand members from each of
the cities.

It initiated a comprehensive
training program for its members, ran
officers' training courses;

Established central
arms depots into which a continuous stream
of light arms flowed from Europe.

Simultaneously, the
basis was laid for the underground production
of arms.

During1936-1939, the years of the Arab Revolt,
were the years in which the Haganah matured
and developed from a militia into a military
body. Although the British administration did
not officially recognize the organization, the
British Security Forces cooperated with it by
establishing civilian militia (see Jewish Settlement
PoliceJ.S.P., and also, Jewish Auxiliary
Policeghafirs). In the summer of 1938
Sepcial Night SquadsS.N.S. were extablished,
under the command of Captain Orde
Wingate (see also Plugot Sadeh, Yitzhak
Sadeh).

During the years of the
riots, the Haganah protected the establishment
of over 50 new settlements in new area of
the country (see Homa UmigdalStockade
and Watchtower Settlements). As a result of
the British government Anti-Zionist policy,
expressed in the White Paper of 1939, the
Haganah supported illegal immigration and
organized demonstrations against the British Anti-Zionist policy.

With the outbreak of World
War II, the Haganah was faced with new problems.
It headed a movement of volunteers, from which
Jewish units were formed for service in the
British army (see Jewish Brigade Group). It also cooperated
with British intelligence units and sent its
personnel out on various commando missions
in the Middle East. Another example of this
cooperation was the dropping of 32 Jewish
parachutists in 1943-44 behind enemy lines
in the Balkans, Hungary and Slovakia. Europe
(see also Hannah Szenesh, Enzo Sereni, Havivah
Reik).

At the same time, the Haganah
further strengthened its independent basis
during the war. A systematic program of training
was instituted for the youth of the country.
In 1941, the Haganah's first mobilized regiment,
the Palmach came into being. At the end of
the war, when it became clear that the British
government had no intention of altering its Anti-Zionist policy, the Haganah began an
open, organized struggle against British Mandatory
rule in the framework of a unified Jewish
Resistance Movement, consisting of Haganah, Irgun Zevai Le'umi - Etzel, and Lohamei Herut YisraelLehi.

Haganah branches were established
at Jewish D.P. [displaced person] camps in
Europe and Haganah members accompanied the
illegal immigrant boats. In the
spring of 1947, David
Ben-Gurion took it upon himself to direct
the general policy of the Haganah, especially
in preparation for impending Arab attack.
On May 26 1948, the Provisional Government
of Israel decided to transform the Haganah
into the regular army of the State, to be
called Zeva Haganah Le-YisraelThe
Israel Defense Forces.